The invention relates to a method for positioning a receiver based on code modulated signals transmitted by a plurality of transmitting units, which code modulated signals are formed by an individual code for each of said transmitting units. The invention equally relates to such a receiver, to positioning means and a computing server for positioning a receiver, and to a positioning system comprising a receiver and a computing server.
A known positioning system which is based on the evaluation of signals transmitted by satellites as transmitting units is GPS (Global Positioning System). The constellation in GPS consists of more than 20 satellites that orbit the earth in 12 hours. The distribution of these satellites ensure that usually between five and eight satellites are visible from any point on the earth.
Each of the satellites, which are also called space vehicles (SV), transmits two microwave carrier signals. One of these carrier signals L1 has a carrier frequency of 1575.42 MHz and is employed for carrying a navigation message and code signals of a standard positioning service (SPS). The L1 carrier phase is modulated by each satellite with a different C/A (Coarse Acquisition) Code, as which a Gold code is used. Thus, different channels are obtained for the transmission by the different satellites. The C/A code is a 1 MHz Pseudo Random Noise (PRN) Code and is spreading the spectrum over a 1 MHz bandwidth. The C/A code is repeated every 1023 bits, the epoch of the code being 1 ms. The carrier frequency of the L1 signal is further modulated with navigation information at a bit rate of 50 bit/s, which information comprises in particular ephemeris data and data on clock corrections. Ephemeris parameters describe short sections of the orbit or the respective satellite. Based on these ephemeris parameters, an algorithm can estimate the position of the satellite for any time while the satellite is in the respective described section.
Receiving means of a receiver of which the position is to be determined, receive the signals transmitted by the currently available satellites. The information in the received signals enables positioning means connected to the receiving means to compute the distance to several satellites. The computed distance between a specific satellite and a receiver is called pseudo-range, because the time is not accurately known in the receiver. The pseudo range can be computed based on the reciprocal pseudo propagation delay of signals from the respective satellite. The computed distances and the estimated positions of the satellites then permit a calculation of the current position of the receiver. The receiver is located at an intersection of the pseudo-ranges from a set of satellites. In order to be able to compute a position of a receiver in three dimensions and the time offset in the receiver clock, the signals from four different GPS satellite signals are required.
Receiving means and positioning means can be comprised in a single, autonomous electronic device constituting a receiver. Alternatively, the positioning means can be external to the receiver. The receiver can for example have access to a cellular network with positioning means. The receiver then only has to transmit the received data to the network, where the positioning calculations are carried out.
The employed modulation technique enables the receiver to distinguish between the signals transmitted by the different satellites and thus to extract the included information, even though the satellites use the same carrier frequency. To this end, the receiver has to synchronize with the respective channel employed by a satellite, i.e. to detect and track the C/A code in the signal.
For detecting and tracking a code of a received signal, GPS receivers usually use a correlation method by which the codes in received signals are compared with replica codes for each satellite available at the receiver. The receiver, or external positioning means, can either generate the respective C/A code sequence for a specific satellite with a code generator, or store the different C/A codes. Before performing the correlation, the received signals are down converted by a multiplication with an intermediate frequency. Then, the down converted signal is multiplied for the correlation with the replica of one of the codes. The receiver slides a replica of the respective code in time and repeats the multiplication. The result of the respective multiplication is integrated or low-pass filtered. As the code in a signal transmitted by a satellite and the receiver code line up completely, a correlation peak is reached at which the resulting value is the greatest. A channel of a received signal resulting in the correlation with a specific replica code in the highest peak is assumed to be the channel employed by the satellite for which this specific replica code is provided. A GPS receiver uses the detected signal power in the correlated signal to align the C/A code in the receiver with the code in the satellite signal.
For illustration, FIG. 1 shows a situation in which the described positioning of a receiver can be employed. A receiver 1 is located at a position at which it is able to receive signals from at least four GPS satellites SV1-SV4, as indicated in the figure by arrows. The receiver 1 comprises receiving means 2 for receiving the signals via an antenna, positioning means 3 to which the received signals are forwarded for performing the correlation procedures and for determining the position of the receiver. Storing means 4 provide the positioning means 3 with the replica codes required for the correlation procedures.
In order to enable a positioning in weak signal conditions, an assistance can be provided for recovering the positioning capability. The simplest form of GPS assistance is to deliver navigation data comprising ephemeris data over a cellular network to the receiver. Usually, missing navigation data is the key element why a positioning cannot be maintained or initiated in weak signal condition for a long period.
Assistance data can also be used to improve the sensitivity of a receiver, i.e. to make it capable to acquire and track satellite signals, which are considerably lower than nominal signals. A sufficient sensitivity is a necessary condition for satellite-based positioning in weak signal environments, e.g. within a building.
A high sensitivity, however, has a disadvantage in case strong and weak satellite signals are received at the same time by a receiver. This might be the case for example in a windowed room, in which the signals of one or two satellites are received directly through the window without a significant attenuation, while the signals of all other satellites penetrate the building and are thus attenuated significantly. A cross-correlation of a received strong signal with a wrong replica code may lead to a higher correlation peak than a correlation of a weak satellite signal with a correct replica code. The performed correlation may therefore lead to the detection of signals which are not originating from the satellite of which a replica code is currently used in the correlation procedure. Such erroneously detected signals can either be signals from other satellite signals or noise. These spurious signals may prevent a successful positioning, since even a single spurious signal employed in position calculations may cause the position calculation to fail and in the worst case to destabilize the positioning means for a while.
The attenuation of a signal resulting from a building penetration can be up to 20-30 dBs. A modern GPS receiver with very good sensitivity is able to acquire and track signal that are attenuated up to 30 dBs from the nominal signal level. At the same time, the correlation properties of the C/A or Gold codes in the satellite signals are very poor. The difference resulting between the correlation of a satellite signal with a wrong replica signal compared to the correlation of the same satellite signal with the correct replica signal is usually 22 to 23 dB. In the worst case, the isolation between two codes is even only 21.6 dB. It is thus for example a problem to differentiate between correct satellite signals, which are received already with an attenuation of e.g. xe2x88x9225 dB compared to the nominal level, and high-level signals for which a cross-correlation with a wrong code results in values which are e.g. only xe2x88x9223 dB lower level than the nominal-level. A sensitive receiver can therefore consider a nominal-level signal of a wrong satellite resulting in a high correlation peak with a replica code for the correct satellite as a signal of the correct satellite. It is not possible to unambiguously identify spurious signals until the position of the receiver has been calculated. The situation becomes even more difficult due to network aiding, since network aiding can provide ephemeris to all satellites in the constellation and therefore exclusion cannot be done based on comparison of received navigation data.
It is known to employ a positioning system in which for example respective 4 satellites are selected from a group of available satellites. Based on the selected satellites, it is then attempted to determine the correct position. In case the position cannot be determined correctly with the selected satellites, other 4 satellites are chosen for a further attempt. This method, however, will require on an average much time until the correct position is found.
Similar problems as with GPS can arise with other systems that are employed for positioning a receiver. Such other systems may also be based on code modulated signals transmitted by a cellular network instead of by satellites. In particular for WCDMA systems, for instance, a method called Idle Period Downlink-Observed Time Difference of Arrival (IPDL-OTDOA) is known for positioning a receiver. As in GPS, also in this method, pseudo random noise codes with poor cross-correlation properties are used. Therefore, in the correlation procedures problems similar as in GPS can arise, in case one or two signals are much stronger compared to the other signals. Such a difference in the strength of signals received by the receiver can result for example from considerable differences in the respective distance to base stations transmitting the code modulated signals.
It is an object of the invention to improve the positioning of a receiver. It is in particular an object of the invention to enable a differentiation between desired signals and spurious signals in order to improve the positioning of a receiver.
This object is reached according to the invention with a method for positioning a receiver based on code modulated signals transmitted by a plurality of transmitting units, which code modulated signals are formed by an individual code for each transmitting unit. It is proposed that in a first step, signals are received at the receiver. Then, a correlation of the received signals with predetermined replica codes corresponding to the individual codes employed by the transmitting units is performed for determining, based on resulting correlation peaks, channels potentially formed by a code of one of said code modulated signals. In a further step, a value is determined which is indicative of the signal level of each channel for which a maximum correlation peak is obtained in a correlation with one of the predetermined codes. Finally, those channels are selected which result in the correlations in a maximum correlation peak and of which channels the value indicative of the signal level exceeds a threshold value. Only the signals of these selected channels are then used for determining the position of the receiver.
The object is also reached with positioning means comprising means for realizing the proposed method based on code modulated signals received via a receiver. Further, the object is reached with a receiver, a computing server and a positioning system comprising such positioning means.
The invention proceeds from the idea that a first position of a receiver can be determined fast, accurately and without a risk of destabilizing the system, if this position can be calculated based only on the signals of a selected group of channels that can be assumed to be correct channels, The channels are first determined by a correlation procedure based on replica codes and an evaluation of correlation peaks as described above. The selection of the group of channels that is then to be used in determining a first position of the receiver is based according to the invention on a value indicative of the signal level of the channels resulting in the correlation procedure. The signal level is a suitable parameter for selecting channels, since the lower the signal level of a channel, the more likely it is that it results form a spurious signal. Channels that have a signal-level below a suitably selected threshold value are filtered out, since they might be erroneous. Thus, the invention allows to avoid using spurious signals in a first position calculation by rejecting spurious signals candidates.
It is an advantage of the invention that a first, possibly preliminary, position can be determined accurately. At the same time, the risk of destabilizing the processing system and thus prolonging the positioning procedure significantly is eliminated.
Preferred embodiments of the invention become apparent from the subclaims.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the threshold value is not fixed, but variable. On the one hand, the signal-levels can vary significantly depending on the antenna used. If an active antenna is attached, the signal-levels can be considerably higher than the nominal signal level, and in that case it might be possible that even erroneous correlation peaks could exceed the threshold. Further, the signal levels can vary depending on the respective environmental conditions. In case even the signal with the highest signal level is attenuated significantly, it might not be possible to select enough channels for determining the first position of the receiver, if a fixed threshold value is selected. Therefore, it is proposed to adapt the threshold to the respective situation. More specifically, it is proposed that the highest signal level of a channel detected by the correlation is determined, and that a constant value is subtracted from this highest signal level in order to obtain the threshold value. It is an advantage of the adaptive threshold value that it enables an adaptation to different environments.
Since for a complete positioning of a receiver in space and time the evaluation of the signals of at least four transmitting units are required, it is proposed that the selected group of channels is only used for determining a first position, in case there are at least four such channels with a signal level above the threshold value. However, a network may provide the altitude of a receiver as assistance data. In this case, the remaining coordinates and the time can be determined with the signals of only three transmitting units.
In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the value indicative of the signal level is given by a determined carrier-to-noise radio C/No, or signal-to-noise ratio S/N.
A suitable constant value for being subtracted from a highest determined C/No value is for example 20 dB. Since the smallest difference resulting in the correlation with a correct code and the cross-correlation with a wrong code is assumed to be xe2x88x9221.6 dB, a constant value of 20 dB would leave a security margin, thus ensuring that wrong correlation peaks are reliably excluded. Any other value could be used as well as constant value, though.
It is moreover proposed that once a position is determined, this position is validated by any suitable method, for example a receiver autonomous integrity monitoring (RAIM) method. Such a method was proposed e.g. by E. D. Kaplan (ed.) in: xe2x80x9cUnderstanding GPS: Principles and Applicationsxe2x80x9d, Artech House Inc., 1996, which is included by reference herewith.
Once a validated first position is found, it is possible to verify also those channels, which were rejected for determining the preliminary position, using the calculated position. Thereby, even the weak signals of a transmitting unit can be included in a second positioning.
The invention can be employed in particular, though not exclusively, in GPS, for example for navigation, positioning, and time dissemination.
Preferably, the invention is implemented in software. In this case, all means of the positioning means proposed according to the invention can be realized with a processor.
The invention can be employed for any kind of system in which a receiver is positioned based on code modulated signals transmitted by several transmission units. Such systems can be in particular satellite based systems like GPS or cellular network based systems like a CDMA system. As CDMA system, a WCDMA system is particularly suited, but also any other CDMA system, like the US CDMA system IS-95, can be employed.
Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims. It should be further understood that the drawings are not drawn to scale and that they are merely intended to conceptually illustrate the structures and procedures described herein.